GENEVA: A United Nations report published Tuesday warned that hospitals in the Gaza Strip are on the verge of collapse due to Israeli strikes.
The report by the UN Human Rights Office said such strikes have put a question mark on Israel’s compliance with global law.
“Israel’s pattern of deadly attacks on and near hospitals in Gaza, and associated combat, pushed the health care system to the brink of total collapse, with catastrophic effect on Palestinians’ access to health and medical care,” the UN Human Rights Office said.
The 23-page report said that from October 7, 2023, to June 30, 2024, there were at least 136 strikes on 27 hospitals and 12 other medical facilities in Gaza killing doctors, nurses, and medics while damaging or destroying civilian infrastructure.
The report added that medical personnel and hospitals are specifically protected under global humanitarian law, provided they do not commit, or are not used to commit, acts harmful to the enemy outside their humanitarian function.
“Insufficient information has so far been made publicly available to substantiate these allegations, which have remained vague and broad, and in some cases appear contradicted by publicly available information,” the report said.
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Gaza hospitals a death trap
UN human rights chief Volker Turk said Gaza hospitals had become a “death trap.”
“As if the relentless bombing and the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza were not enough, the one sanctuary where Palestinians should have felt safe in fact became a death trap,” he said.
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“The protection of hospitals during warfare is paramount and must be respected by all sides, at all times.”
“It is essential that there be independent, thorough and transparent investigations of all of these incidents and full accountability for all violations of international humanitarian and human rights law which have taken place,” said Turk.
According to the Gaza health ministry Israel’s war in Gaza has killed at least 45,541 Palestinians and injured 108,338 others mostly women and children.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said Monday the health care system in northern Gaza had been “obliterated” by ongoing Israeli bombardments, with hospitals rendered “completely inoperable”.
“Repeated hostilities in and around hospitals have obliterated the health care system in northern Gaza, putting civilians at an unacceptably grave risk of going without lifesaving care,” the ICRC said in a statement.
It called for the respect and protection of medical facilities in line with international humanitarian law.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
